Control device for pneumatic conveyers for cigarette machines



April 2, 1940. R (:RAGGS 2,195,407

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYERS FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed Kay 8, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 15 5s V Craygs ATTORNEY April 2, 1940. v. CRAGGS 2,195,407

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYERS FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed May 8, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 za' dg Fig. 6. i 78 72 I i .49

Hi H 77 77;

Fig.7 E98.

o HHHIHHHIHIIII o i INVENTOR igs YCmzgs TTORNEY April .1940. R. v. cnmmass 2,195,407

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYERS FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed llay 8, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 :1 I E I INVENTOR 5055 V Craggs ATTORNEY A ril 2, 1940.

CONTROL DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC CONVEYERS FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Filed May 8, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ROSS V CRAG'Z K TORNEY' Patented Apr. 2, 1940 PATENT OFFICE comets IDE'V IcE FOR jrNEUMATIc con I IVEYERS FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES g Ross Craggs; Brooklyn, N'. Y.', assignor to;

, American Machine &Y'Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey I Application Mays, 1937, Serial n 141,503

:; .O1aims.: (01:302-28) This invention relates to pneumatic convey'ei's;

more'particularly to tobacco ,conveyers for sup plying tobacco to a'battery of cigaretteimalcing machines from a storage chamber. The main obi. 5 ject of this invention is to jautomatically convey I disintegrated tobacco or other'jrnaterial from its place of storage to the feed hoppers of a battery of. cigarette making or other type of v machines and dispatch" the saine automatically in the order in which: the automatic signals are. received,

thereby relieving the attendant. of'the responprovided an'electric selector device-"actuatedby;

the signals for dispatching. the charges in the "same sequence the signals are re'c eived. Ac'c'ord-.

ingl'y,,still another object of the invention is to} g ;the cigarette making machine. With these and other .objectsnot specifically provide a novel selector device. v

, 7 These objects. may be'achieved in the embodi ment of. the invention selected forgillustration herein, by' connecting the tobacco feed hoppers of) the desired. number of cigarette .makinggfma chines byrneans of a single pipe line, the end of which is led to a'continuou'sly runningfsuction fanf thedischarge pipe' of the latter may return toi theplace'of storage.- The arrangement of the selector device herein illustrated tolserve eight machines may, of course; be varied; The a conduit is provided with outlets above the feed 40 hopper of eachmachine and also with an auto matically operated valve for diverting the tobacco/into the collecting chamberwhichltogether with an auxiiary hopper may .overlie the feed ineach machine hopper, and theproduction of I forth in the appendedclaims.

a I In the accompanying drawings which hopper of'a cigar ette making machine. Between bycontact with the common stop; I

,Fig. dis aside elevation of the auxiliary hopper in normal position;

the same sequence in'which theywere received. I The'tobacco is fed into the'intake at the charging tabe in small quantities and conveyed pneumati cally through. thefeed line to'the cigarette mak- I v In P ingmachine which hassent in'a signal. 5

In addition to the obvious advantages of this improved pneumatic conveyer system ovjernhand feeding which advantages include speed'and an assurance that the tobacco arrives atthe' feed hoppers in the same proper condition'as it left 10 the storage room, Without impairing its condi-' tion' by additional handling, it is now possible to ,supply the tobacco in the order in which each machine automatically signals its requirement and a desired level of tobacco for all ,machines will thus be automatically preserved. I

As each machine is fed in its turn according to' signalledrequirements, the amount of tobacco is'maintained at approximately the same height more uniform cigarettes is aided. The present control device. insuresprompt and'corre'ct selection of themachine to' be fed, eliminating any chance of'error on the part of an operator, and I clean tobacco from Which'dust has been removed 25 retains the benefitlofthehumidified conditioned air of v the. supply room while being conveyed to mentioned in View, the invention consists in cer- 30 tain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specifically 'set' N "lama part of this specification'and in which like char the'm echanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is'aside elevation of the unit shown in Fig. 2; p a

Fig. 4 is avfragmentary view of the common,

stop with one finger resting thereon and other fingers from various selector units in juxtaposition, awaiting'their turn to establish a circuit t Fig. 6 is a front elevation'ofthe auxiliary' hop- Fig. "Tis an enlarged View of. the mercoid switch on the auxiliary hopper;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on lines i3-B of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is. a side viewof the pneumaticconveyor system; and s Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the wiring of the selector device and other electrical instrumentalities' of a'conveyor system connected for two cigarette making machines;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail view on an enlarged scale, showing partly in verticalsection andpartly in side elevation one of the discharge outlet valves of the type of which two are illustrated in Fig; 9, with enough of the associated parts to make clear their combinative relation-'- ship;

Fig. 12 is a plan View of said discharge valve;

and I Fig. 13 is a View in matic valve operating mechanism for introducing to the main supply conduit, charges of. tobacco to be conveyed therein to the cigarette machines in selective response to demanding signals sent from said machines for replenishment of tobacco as and when needed,

Referring to Figs. 1,2 and'3 of the accompanying drawings, a number of selector units 29 are arranged on a base 2 i an suitably fastened thereto as by cap-screws 22 to serve a like number of cigarette making machines and are enclosed in a dust-proof control box C (Fig. 9). A lever 23 of each unit (Fig. 3) is fulcrumed at 26 to a pedestal 25 secured to the base 2i by the screws 22 and carries a selector finger 26 attached at 21 to a bracket 28 pivoted on a pintle 29 set in one arm of lever 23, one leg 28a of bracket 28 engages the forwardly projecting edge 39 of a lever 3i pivoted at 32 and yieldingly held in a position to raise the finger 28 by a spring 33 attached to a pin 34 on the free end of lever 3| and anchored to'a pin 35 on the vertical web of the pedestal 25. A stop pin 31a on the pedestal 25 limits the movement of the lever 3i under the tension of the spring 33. The lever 23 has an inwardly projecting lug 36 which acts as a stop for the leg 28a of the'bracket 28 when .the finger 26 is in its raised position. A

plungers'l, through a link 38 suitably connected I thereto at 39 and pinned to the lever "23 atdll',

is operated from a solenoid ll, whose core it constitutes, mounted at 32 on the base of the 'ped.-' estal 25. I

When a signalling switch 43 on one of the aux iliary hoppers M (Figs. 5, '7 and 9) is operated, as will be presently explained, and the solenoid 41 of the corresponding selector device is subsequently energized, the plunger 31 rocks the lever 23 against the resistance of a return spring 45" attached thereto at A6 and anchored to the pin 35 on the pedestal 25, thereby bringing the selector. finger 26 to bearon the stop or post 4'! suitably fastened on the base H by a stud 21a. During this operation the leg 28a is checked by a stop screw 48 mounted on an arm as which is pivoted at 50 and held against a pin 5| by a return spring 52 secured to the arm 29 at 53 and to a pin 5 on the pedestal 25. Accordingly, the selector finger 26 is first swung into a horizontal position and then lowered into contact with the top of. the

post 41, meanwhile depressing an adjustable screw 55 mounted on a bracket 55 and thereby compressing a spring 51 on a bolt 58 passing through the arm 55 and 2. lug 59 of the pedestal- 25. The bracket :39 pivoted at Maori the plate 25 and its upward movement under theinfiuence of the spring 51 is limited by the nut '58 onthe latter. To the hub ofthe bracket '56 is fastened an insulating block 69 carrying a contact arm 6| side elevation of an autowhich is swung into position to bring its contact .point 62 into engagement with a contact point 63 adjustable at 63a on an insulating block 64 secured to a lug B5 of the pedestal 25 at 66, whenever the bracket 56 is depressed.

The contact of points 62 and 63 in any one of the selector units establishes an electrical circuit foractuating the discharge valve 13 (Fig. 9) of the corresponding hopper, as will be presently described,- and sets it to a discharging position which is maintained until after the complete charge of tobacco has been delivered, whereupon it is reset to its closed position. When the solenoid has been de-energized the spring 33 will return the'selector finger 26 to the raised. position. When another one or all of the tobacco feeds of the various machines signal their requirements during the time one feed is being served the respective selector fingers will come down in the se quence of their requesting signal,one atop the other (Fig. 4) but since the discharge valves are controlled by a contact made through the corresponding selector, only that particular finger which rests' directly on the stop 41 will be effective to operate a valve to its discharge position, for the control circuit operated by each of the other fingers will be kept open by the action of its particular spring 51, which'swings contact 62 away from contact 63 (see Fig. 3). The free ends of the selector fingers are rounded and chamfered to a thin edge 26a in order to facilitate positioning one finger above another.

A conveyer, which includes a charging table 61 (Fig. 9), is connected by means of. anintake valve 68 electrically operated and controlled by each' of the several selector units 20, to a main conduit or pipe line'69.

The construction of the charging table is similar to that shown in applicants copending application noted, SerialNo. 65,676, now issued as Letters PatentNo. 2,140,128, dated December 13, 11938, wherefore further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary except to state that the valve is automatically illustrated herein, is discharging mechanism ineluding a collecting chamber 12' inter-communicating the conduit 69 through an electrically controlled air valve l3. The construction of collecting chambers 12 isillustrated in sufficient detail in Figs. 11 and 12, herein, and forms the subject-matter in part of my said Letters Patent No. 2,140,128 wherefore reference may be had to the same fora description of the intended diversion of the air current from the conduit 69 to theidesired chamber when its valve is actuated. For a more .detailed recital of the valve structure and its associated parts, reference may be had to the co-pending application of Randolph, Serial No. 231,149. As indicated in Fig. 9 herein, the .air is diverted through the chamber 12 and then returned to the conduit in order that the charge of tobacco being pneumatically conveyed may be deposited in the collecting chamber. There is arranged below each collecting chamber. an auxiliary hopper .44 pivotally ing I33 of the corresponding collecting chamber I 7, 2,195,407 supported: at 14. on the brackets'liwhichare secured' tothecollecting chamber by studs-I6.

later; i I Each feed .ordischar ge. valve 13 '(Figs. 9, 11 and 12) is actuated by compressed air supplied source of compressed air such as a compressor A and is electrically controlled by two solenoids operatedthrough a selector unit 20, as will be hereinafter described; ''Between the last discharge valve13 onthe conduit and the suction fan F there may be connected a dust'collector and'separator'E' of well known construction. If

it is desired, the charging table may be-placed in an air conditioned tobacco storage room and the conditioned air taken from the room' may be returned thereto by connecting the exhaust pipe till of the suction fan F to said-room, or the fan itself may be located there. The control box C is dust-proof and the individual time relaysused in nection with the various circuits together with the selector units 20are'arranged for effective operation therein. Each discharge valve I3 comprises preferably a housing I39. (see Fig. 11) which is provided with an opening I3I in communication with an abutting opening of the main conduit 69, and in the housing is mounted ro-' tatably a valve device I3'I having a nozzle extension I38 (Fig. 11) which-can beswung, as by}; rack I43, engaged with an arouate rack I42, to bring the swinging end of the nozzle I38 alternatively into communication with the inlet open- 12, or into communication with the opening I32 into the next stretch of the main' conduit 69. The housing I30 has an opening I34 in its lower part which registers with an opening I35in the upper end of the collecting chamber I2, the suctional effect in conduit 69 being maintained through these registering openings when a charge is being-supplied to chamber I2. As a convenient form of mechanism to actuate the rack I43, it is formed on a rod 144 (Fig. 12)

connected, as atI 45, with therodof a piston (not.

shown) in'a fluid-pressure cylinder I46, the operating ducts I18 and I I9 of which are energized by a suitable fluid-pressure medium sup-I plied'through' the conduit I9, andregulated by" a suitable electricintake valve solenoid, as H6.-

The auxiliary'hopper 44 is normally urged by a tension spring 8| secured thereto at 82 and to the bracket I at 83 into position-to bring its lug 18' (see Figs. 5 and 6); against the uppermost stop 11 of the bracket I5 and thereby tilt the mercoid switch 43 sufiiciently out of horizontal position so that a circuit is established for sending a'si'gnal to the corresponding selector unit 20.

For this purpose the mercoid s'witch 43 is carried by a plate 43a mounted on a pivot 84 on the bracket I5 together'with a bracket 85 which sup-' ports an electromagnet 86 on a plate 81 suitably secured thereto at 88. Normally a stop screw 89 onthe lug 9fl of bracket 81 is engagedby a stop 9| suitably secured to the'auxiliary hopper 44' by studs 92,- thereby swinging themercoid switch into'the inclined position wherein it closes the ited by a stop 99a. ;,When the auxiliaryhopper 44" is loaded it is swung down on its pivot 14 against the terlsion is the spring Si by the weight of the tobacco and the mercoid switch 43 is thereby positioned horizontally-"so as to break the .circuitthrough and deenergize the relay coils- 86.. This occurs'as'stop SIofthehopper recedes from' the stop-screw 89 on arm 85 and thereby permits the weight of the switch 43 to swing it into a horizontal: position when it is unlatched.

arm 85 backward together with the relay coils 86 mounted thereon;- The electromagnetic latch 93 is supported-by a hinge 94- on the plate 81' and retains the mercury switch" 43 in tilted position upon engagement of-the nose 96 of theswitch plate 43a. in an opening 94a thereof. spring 91 secured to the latch at bears against a stop Won the bracket I5 for yieldingly retaining the latch in latching position. When the bracket arm 85 has been rocked backward the switch 43 will be in a tiltedposition (see Fig. '7) wherein the level of mercury is suflicient to establish a circuit through andenergize the electromagnet '86 to attract the latch 93. to its armature 95 and unlatch the mercur'yswitch'43 which then falls back to its horizontal position breaking the A leaf swinging it so that its stop 9| rocks the bracket circuit through .-the signal lampand the electromagnet 86. A-termi n al block. I00 for the'electricalconnections is fastened to the bracket .15 by screws I0 I and a toggle switch I 02 (Fig. 5) is provided outside the bracket I5 to permit the attendant to break the circuit through the mercoid switch. 'Ahinged door I03 (Fig. 5) provided with it'isfed into-the feed hopper of the cigarette making machine. A guide bail I08 pivoted at I09 on the auxiliary hopper 44 :is adjustably held to a suitable angle by a bolt and slot connection I II].

Referring tothe wiring diagram (Fig. 10) showing the 's elector connections as well as the other electrical controls of the conveyer system, the 3 supply mainsS are connected in parallel through;

the double fpole switch I I] and'line wires I Ha .to cigarette 'makingYmachines M and M and their respective discharge valves 13, safety or lim it switches II4 and H5, time relays'REreleasing relays R .and R, holding relays H and H and selector units 20 one panel P, as well as to the intake valve 68 of charging table 61. It will be understood that the particular wiring diagram shown is merely illustrative and any suitable cirrent flows from. the linev III a atL through the:

switch and continues to the secondary. of the three-point holding relay H, whereupon current flows from the line L? through the primary circult of relay H and returns through the solenoid 4| of the selector unit 20 for themachine M and on through the-wire I I3, common to all selectors.

to the other line ll'l a at L completing the circuit.

7 29, its contact arm 26 closes the circuit through the solenoid I22, thereby setting into operation the pneumatic mechanism for displacing the valve 13 into position to divert the air current into the chamber 12, the circuit including a limit or safety switch H4, which is connected in series therewith and returning to the line Illa at L When the valve T3 reaches its displaced position the switch H5 is closed and the current flows to the releasing relay R which is thus energized to break the secondary circuit of the holding relay H'wherefore the primary circuit of the latter is also interrupted. The current from the main" line i la flows through the'releasing relay R from the relay H 9 for the circuit through intake valve solenoid through the latter and its series resistance Illa as-well as the signal light 1 Ila- In this manner the intake valve 229 is opened and the signal lamp lighted. 1;

The safety or limit switches H4 and I I5 are respectively closed and opened by pneumatic mechanism similar to that shown in the co-pending application identified above when the dis-' charge valve E3 is in positionto'divert the air current from the conduitinto'the chamber 12. After the tobacco is fed into the intake, the operator presses the push button 61a which permits the main line current to energize one relay H8 duction of charges of tobacco to the main conduit teat thepoint indicated at 68 (Fig. 9) on the "table El.- V

trated and describedmore at 'lengthin my co.-

of a groupof time relays R whichcuts out the 1' relay M9 for thegcircuit of the-intake, valve sole-,q

noid and lamp I H, permitting the intake valve to close after a predetermined interval sufficient for the inserted tobacco to reach the chamber 7.3.

At the same time the time relay I l8a is actuated so that it energizes the supplemental relay I20, after the time relay H8" falls'out, and

thereby actuates the small line relay 2a which in turn puts the closing solenoid E2! in operation to return the valve ltto' its open position.

The filling of the depleted tobacco feed of a cigarette makingmachine M is now efiected and 7 safety or limitswitches Hi and I l-5'resume their 7 normal open and closed position respectively and theintermediate releasing relays Rfall out when the switch H5 is opened. The electrical operation and connections described are similar for the cigarette makingmachine M. a

In Fig. l3 is disclosed an automatically operated main intake valve for controlling the intro- This switch is similarto that illuspending application, Serial No. 65,676, to "which referencemay be had if desired for detaileddef scription of structural features.

Such an intake valve, designated'generally by the reference character G in Fig. 13, may comprise a slide 225, provided with asuitable aperture 2% and slidably mounted between the upper section 23S and lower section 232 of the intake housing mounted on the base 233 whichalso' supports the "feed table 67. connected to the discharge end of the housing part 232, and the intake pipe from the table is designated 239, while 231 is a pipe leading to a dust-collecting chamber, placed in communicacation whenthe valve 29 in the position indicated in 13, the opening 239 being in registry with said'i ipe 23?, and with the corresponding opening. .into the :lower part: 232 of the housing.-

Upon energization of the solenoid of: selector M6,; thereby establishing a circuit The main. conduit 69 is When so disposed the valve cuts off access of tobacco from the table 61 to the main conduit 69, but permits suction. to be'maintained through 237|-230-23269,:-byfan FfiWhen the slide valve 229 is-moved toward the left andbrings the opening 230 into registry with the pipe 239, to-

bacco from the table'is "drawn down through G into 69 and'constitutes a charge for the selected collecting chamber of one of the machines M, M.

Movements of the valve 229 are accomplished.

by a piston rod 221 actuated by-piston226 in fluid pressure cylinder 225, from which ducts 208 and 209 lead to a pilot valve 220 connected with the compressed air line 79 by means of pipe 22I.

The ends of the piston rod 200 of pilot valve 220' are connected to solenoids 222'and' 223 attached, togetherwith the pilot-valve 220, to a. bracket 224 mounted on, the lower intake valve housing 232, the solenoids 222, and 223. being connected in series with the set of solenoids OI, O2, and O3 and the sets of solenoids-KI, K2 and K3; respectively. Said bracket 222 also carries the cylinder 225. v I

The ends of valve 229-,are equipped with contact makers 2M] and 241*,athe latter depressing a push button of a switch 242 when valve 229 is in open (left hand) position, while finger 240 de-- presses the button of a switch 243, as shown in Fig. 6, when the'valve is in closed position, i. e.,

with tobacco shut 01f... 1

Switches 242 and 243 ries with the solenoids.222 and 223 respectively. The switch 242 may be arranged, when depressed, to close the circuit through the coil of a suitable time relay, as TR, for the purpose of determining an. inlet valve adapted to be opened to admit materialtothe air stream in said conduit for conveyance to said outlets as and when needed, each of said hoppers being providedwith meansfor may be connected in sethe proper length of the respective charging periods; and the switch 243 may be arrangedfto automatically opening saidvalve upon depletion otthe material deposited in eachsuch hopper from therespective conduit outlet, and mechanism for putting the depleted hopper into come munication withsaidconduit to cause the conveyed tobacco to be deposited therein, said mech-j anism including a device for successively putting said hoppers into communication with the conduit in the same sequence in. which they are de pleted. 1

'2. In a pneumatic conveyer for cigarette machines, the combination'with a conduit having an intake and aplurality of outlets, of means for pneumatically conveying charges of tobacco in-.

termittently from said intake to said outlets'in-.

eluding rneansjtor creatinga substantially continuous suctional effect insaid conduit, at a. region in advance orsaicl' outlets, a plurality of cigarette machine feed hoppers underlying said outlets to receive material therefrom as and when needed,; a plurality of devices each for diverting the conveyed tobacco through one of said outlets 4. In a pneumatic conveyer for cigarette machines, the combination of means jfordelivering charges of tobacco to any one ofva series of cigarette machine feed hoppers, each adapted to 7' to the respective cigarette machine feed hopperv whenever" the weight of thetobacco in the latter falls belowa predetermined amount, and an electrical selector controlling said devices for effect termittently from said intake to said outlets ineluding means for creating a substantially continuous suctional effect in said conduit, at a region in advance of said outlets, a plurality of cigarette machine feed hoppers underlying saidoutlets to receive material therefrom as and when needed, aplurality of devices each for diverting the conveyed tobacco through one of said outlets to the respective cigarette machine feed hopper whenever the weight of the tobacco in the latter falls below a predetermined amount, and an electrical selector controlling said devices for effecting the necessary diversion of the conveyed tobacco to the various hoppers in the same sequence that their depletion occurs, said selector including an electrical circuit including a stationary contact, and movable contact fingers actuated by said devices into positionto engage said stationary contact. Y

change its position when emptied, and devices,

actuated by such movement of the hoppers individually, for indicating to an operator at the intake end of said means that one or more ofsaid I hoppers requires replenishment, andmechanism controlled by the order in which saiddevices are operated to determine the order in which; the hoppers are replenished by said means.

5. Ina pneumatic conveyer for cigarette'machines, the combination of means for delivering charges of tobacco to any one oi a series'of cigarette machine feed hoppers, leach adapted to change its position when emptied, and devices,

actuated'by such movement of the hoppers individually, for detecting and indicating to an op-.

erator at the intake end of said means that one or more of said hoppers requires replenishment,

means,-operable manually at said intake end by l said operator, to. supply said charges for delivery,

and mechanism controlled by the order in which said devices are operated to determine the order in which the hoppers are replenished by said-delivery means, freefromvolitional efiort by said operator at the intake end. g a

. l ROSS V. CRAGGS. 

